Winter Ales Festival

Went to the Winter Ales Festival, Manchester yesterday. On the way had three cans on the train; yup started before 11am :)
The festival glass is cool; a polar bear wearing shades and Bermuda shorts. First glass of 2009. I like stouts, porters, milds. Great surrounded by David Lloyd accents.
I had :Hobsons Mild; dark, 3.5%
Kelham Island Brooklyn Smoked Porter 6.5% really good. Having nips or thirds allows you to sample many and hopefully not look too unmanly.
Keystone Porter; smoky, rich, dark with subtle blackcurrant flavour. A substantial winter beer, 4.5%
Northern Deep Dark Secret; top stuff, 5.2% not difficult to see why this is 2008 Champion Beer of Cheshire.
Red Rose Care Taker of History 6% complex, rich and warming; well balanced, you are what you drink..
Then i gravitated towards foreign beers. Met a chap who hasn't been to London for 20 years; how does that work?! He was expected by his missus for ages but couldn't resist the cracking array of beers. I was on the Belgian tip, had:
Schelde's Zeezuiper 8% spiced with orange peel; humdinger of an ale
Geants Gouyasse Tripel how about 9%?
Karg Dunkles Weissbier (German) 5.1%, on recommendation
Should have explored the ciders but for a carryout on the return journey took a German smoked beer; details by this time had become distinctly hazy.